Advertising clock



Sept. 12, 1933. A. K. VERNON ADVERTISING CLOCK Filed Dec. 9, 1930 2\Sheets- Shee t 1 INVENTOR Amos K. \(ERNIDN BYJVS ATTORNEY:

Sept. 12, 1933. A. K. VERNON 6 ADVERTISING CLOCK Filed Dec. 9, 1950 2 sheets-sheet 2 ELECTRICAL sHov 001701? p?! 170/? -93; ll$ (Qfiorng 'latenzed sets 12, 1933 ADVERTISING CLOCK Aaron K. Vernon, Flushing, N. Y. Application December 9, 1930. Serial No. 500,999

13 Claims.

This invention relates to advertising devices and more particularly refers to improvements in advertising clocks.

Various arrangements have heretofore been suggested for utilizing the clock mechanism of an ordinary clock to produce animated or movable advertising effects without interfering with the reading of the time indications provided by the clocks hands and dial.

However, all the arrangements of this character heretofore proposed which have come to my knowledge require changes of some kind or other in the clock structure or in the clock mechanism. As a result, these devices generally require specially built clocks or specially built clock cases, or both, and calling as they do for specially made clocks, entail a cost considerably higher than would be necessary if an ordinary clock were employed without material changes.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved movable advertising or displaying arrangement adapted to be applied in connection with any ordinary clock without entailing any material change in the clock structure.

Another object is to provide in a device of the character specified, means for improving the legibility of the display matter successively exposedby a revolving member so as to make it possible to read the display matter from a distance even when a relatively small clock is employed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear as the description proceeds and will be set forth and claimed in the appended claims.

In devising the arrangement forming the subject of the present invention, I have avoided the use of additional gears in an ordinary clock mechanism, as well as the use of special dials, and I have otherwise avoided the necessity of using a specially built clock or clock case. As a result I have produced an advertising or display device which can be applied in connection with any clock found on the market, and which can therefore be produced at a very low price.

My invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a clock equipped with an advertising or displaying device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a clock dial and an advertising device embodying my invention in a slightly modified form;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a clock embodying my invention also including means for increasing the visibility of the display matter;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the dial and advertising device used in said clock in an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section of the clock shown in Fig. 1 in an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6 is a similar fragmentary cross section of the clock shown in Figs. 3 and 4; and

Fig. 7 is a front view of a clock having the second hand at a point intermediate the center and the periphery of the dial, embodying my invention.

The main characteristic of my invention is its extreme simplicity. My improved arrangement consists essentially of a disk bearing display matter arranged along its circumference mounted in front of the dial upon, and rotating with, one of the hand bearing shafts of the clock, and a stationary shield mounted in front of said disk, said shield having a slot or opening through which display matter will successively appear during the movement of rotation of the disk.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably employ a clock provided with a shaft carrying a seconds hand, concentric with the hour and minute hand shafts, and I mount the display disk upon said shaft so that the entire display matter will pass under the slot or opening of the shield in one minute's period.

The stationary shield is. preferably mounted upon the glass or other transparent covering ordinarily provided in a clock, and both the display disk and the shield are preferably circular in form, having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the clocks dial so as to expose the figures in said dial and the ends of the hands pointing thereto. 1 v

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, 10 designates a mantel clock of conventional design provided with a dial 11, and hour hand 12, a minute hand 13, and a seconds hand 14; said three hands being respectively mounted on three concentric shafts 15, 16, 1'7.

The clock is provided with a transparent covering of glass 18 mounted in front of the dial on frame 19. My improved arrangement consists of a display disk 20 mounted on shaft 17, in front of the seconds hand 14, and a shield 21, pasted or otherwise secured to the inner surface of glass 18, 1 said shield being provided with a slot 22 at a convenient point along its periphery, the diameter of said shield being substantially the same as that of disk 20.

By virtue of this arrangement, as Fig. 1 clearly shows, display matter 23 carried by disk 20 along its circumference, will be displayed in succession through slot 22 while disk 20 revolves.

The diameter of disk 20 and shield 21 is smaller than the diameter of dial 11 so as not to interfere with the visibility of figures 24 peripherally carried by said dial, nor with the extreme portions of hands 12, 13, 14 pointing to such figures.

In this manner, the usefulness of the clock is not in the least'impaired, the time indications being readable as usual and at the same time an attraction has been added thereto in the form of a movable advertising or display device which I have found to be very effective in attracting the attention of passersby.

The advertising or display matter on the dial may be arranged in various ways, and the shield may be provided with a slot or slots, or openings registering therewith in any convenient manner.

For instance, in the arrangement shown Fig. 2, the display matter carried by the disk 2 consists of a succession of diametrically arranged sentences such as 26, and the shield 27 is provided with two slots 28, 29 in horizontal diametral alignment with each other.

The display matter thus exhibited by a clock of ordinary dimensions is likely not to be readable from a distance. In a preferred embodiment of my invention 1 therefore place in correspondence of the slot or opening in the shield a magnifying lens which will make it possible to read the underlying display matter from a greater distance. Such an arrangement is illustrated'in Figs. 3, 4, 6, where 30 designates the shield secured onto the inner surface of the transparent covering 31, said shield being provided with a peripheral slot 32 through which display matter carried by display disk 33 will successively appear.

In front of said slot I provide a magnifying lens 34 which is shown as being cemented directly onto an opening provided through glass 31 which can, of course, be secured in position in any convenient manner. The display matter 35 carried by disk 33 will thus appear magnified through lens 34 as shown at 35' in Figs. 3 and 4.

It is obvious that whereas the shield is shown attached to the inner surface of the transparent covering, the same may be attached to the outer surface if desired, or else it may be retained in position in any other convenient manner.

It is also obvious that the display disk can be mounted on the minutes hand shaft if preferred, or even on the hour hand shaft for special purposes, and that the magnifying lens may be used in connection with devices of the same character but not necessarily embodying the other features of my invention.

While in carrying my invention into practice, I prefer to use a clock having its second hand concentric with the hour minute hands, it is, of course, possible to also apply my invention in connection with a clock having the second hand at a point spaced from the center of the dial.

This possibility is illustrated in Fig. 7 where 36 designates a clock provided with a dial 37, in having its minute hand located at a point spaced from the center shafts 38, 39 carrying the hour minute hands 40, 41, respectively. In this case I apply the rotating disk 22 carrying the display matter on the second hand shaft, and I apply the shield onto the underside of the glass in the manner previously described. The shield is in this case shown composed of two separate and distinct halves 43, 44 separated by a space 45 through which the display matter '46 carried by disk 42 appears.

My invention may be carried into practice in various ways different from those shown without departing from the inventive idea. The drawings will therefore be considered as being intended for illustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense; accordingly, I reservethe right to .carry my invention into practice in all those ways and manners which may enter, fairly, into .the scope of the appended claims:

Iclaim: 1. In a clock including a plurality of hand bearing shafts, and a transparent covering, a dis- 7 play member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, fixed upon one of said shafts and rotating therewith, and a stationary shield member concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member.

2. In a clock including a plurality of hand bearing shafts, and a transparent covering, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, mounted upon one of said shafts, and a stationary shield member carried by said transparent covering, concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member.

3. In a clock including a plurality of hand bearing shafts, and a transparent covering, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, mounted upon the one of said shafts carrying the uppermost hand and a stationary shield member carried by said transparent covering, concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a. sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member.

4. In a clock including a plurality of hand bearing shafts, and a transparent covering, one of said shafts bearing the seconds hand, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, mounted upon said seconds hand shaft, and a stationary shield member, carried by said transparent covering, concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member.

5. In a clock including a dial bearing a plurality of time indicia arranged along a circumference, a plurality of shafts each bearing a hand pointing to said indicia, and a transparent covering for said dial and hands, a display member mounted upon the one of said shafts carrying the uppermost hand, said display member concealing the central part of said dial, without interfering with the visibility of said indicia, and a stationary shield member, carried by said transparent covering, concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member.

6. In a clock including a plurality of hand bearing shafts, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, and a shield member concealing said display member, saidshield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear, one of said members being fixed upon one of said shafts, and rotating therewith.

'7. In a clock including a plurality of hand bearing shafts, and a transparent covering, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, mounted upon one of said shafts, a stationary shield member concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which \said displays may successively appear during the r"o-.,,

tation of said display member, and a magnifying lens carried by said transparent covering, in correspondence with said sight space.

8. In a clock including a plurality of hand bearing shafts, and a transparent covering, one of said shafts bearing the seconds hand, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, mounted upon said seconds hand shaft, a stationary shield member, carried by said transparent: covering, concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member, and a magnifying lens carried by said transparent covering, in correspondence with said sight space.

9. In a clock including a dial bearing a plurality of time indicia arranged along a circumference, a plurality of shafts each bearing a hand pointing to said indicia, and a transparent covering for said dial and hands, a display member -mounted upon the one of said shafts carryingthe uppermost hand, said display member concealing the central part of said dial, without interfering with the visibility of said indicia, a stationary shield member, carried by said transparent covering, concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member, and a magnifying lens carried by said displays, fixed upon one of said shafts and rotating therewith, and a stationary shield member concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member.

11. In a clock'including a plurality of shafts, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, and a shield member concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear, one of said members being fixed upon one of said shafts, and rotating therewith.

12. In a clock including a plurality of shafts, and a transparent covering, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, mounted upon one of said shafts, and a stationary shield member carried by said transparent covering, concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member.

13. In a clock comprising a plurality of shafts, a display member bearing a plurality of circumferentially spaced displays, said displays being a fiat surface in any form, said display member being permanently fixed upon one of said shafts, and a stationary shield member concealing said display member, said shield member being provided with a sight space through which said displays may successively appear during the rotation of said display member.

AARON K. VERNON. 

